Allahabad

Situated at the confluence of three major rivers – Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati, Allahabad (Prayag) is the famous religious place for the Hindus, which hosts the renowned Kumbh Mela after every twelve years. Thousands and thousands of devotees come here to seek blessings among the holy surroundings of this place.

Allahabad Pilgrimage Destination

Located at the confluence of three main rivers – Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswati and counted among the largest cities of Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad is a city with a combination of the cultures of Hindus, Christians, Jains and Muslims. Being particularly pious to Hindus, the meeting point is called Triveni. During the establishment of the earliest settlements of the Aryans in this city, Allahabad was popular as ‘Prayag’ – Prayagasya Praveshshu Papam Nashwati Tatkshanam. Prayag (the old name of present time Allahabad), which is regarded as one of the mythological and historical cities of India having a magnificent present and past, provides its pilgrims the opportunity of getting rid of their sins. The visitors to this holy place continue to get the distinguished enjoyment of the lasting and haunting memories.

The references of the Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata manifest the sanctity of this place. As per the Hindu Mythology, Lord Brahma (the creator God among the Trinity), selected a land on earth (i.e. Prayag) to perform ‘Prakrista Yagya’ in the starting of the creation and he also named it ‘Tirth Raj’ or the king of all pilgrimage places. According to the description of Padam Puran – ‘As the sun is amongst the moon and the moon amongst the stars, in the same way, Prayag is noblest amongst all centers of pilgrimage. Brahma Puran describes that the bathing on the confluence at Prayag in the month of Magha provides the benefits of millions and millions of Ashwamedha Yagyas.

Being the birthplace of Som, Varuna and Prajapati, the place of Prayag, which has been the seat of the great sage Bharadwaj, sage Durvasa and sage Pannas, has got the association of mythological personalities in Brahmanical (Vedic) and Buddhist Literatures. Sage Bharadwaj, who has been the greatest philosopher of the ancient world, resided here around 5000BC and provided the teaching for more than 10,000 disciples.

Major Attractions

Sangam

Being really the confluence of the three main sacred rivers – Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati and regarded as one of the greatest tourist attractions on India tour, Sangam, which is situated at the distance of about 7 kms from Civil Lines, becomes a center of attraction for thousands and thousands of religious tourists after every twelve years while hosting the popular Kumbh Mela.

Hanuman Temple

Hanuman Temple, which is popular for the image of the reclined posture of the monkey-god – Hanuman, is situated close to the Allahabad Fort.

Patalpuri Temple and Akshaya Vat

Patalpuri Temple, which is really an underground temple indicating to associations with Lord Rama, is situated in the Allahabad Fort. The popular Akshaya Vat, which is also located within the temple, is regarded as one of the most revered trees among the Hindus.

How to Reach

Being a main pilgrim city, Allahabad, which has its good connectivity to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and so on via air, rail and road, can be easily accessed from all parts of India and most of the main cities of the globe. Here is how to get Allahabad (Prayag):

By Air :

Situated at the distance of 15 kms, Bamrauli airport, which has its good connectivity to metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Lucknow, is the closest airport in Allahabad. The nearest international airports are Lucknow, Varanasi, Delhi and Kolkata. Taxis are available at the airport to reach Allahabad.

By Train :

Being a main rail head, Allahabad has its connectivity to all significant cities of India.

By Road :

Allahbad is well-connected by roads and highways. All the main domestic cities are connected to Allahabad by this highway.